


Looking For Mr. Halpert

by Emilys_List



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: 4 + 1, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-02
Updated: 2007-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-19 05:51:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/880183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilys_List/pseuds/Emilys_List
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pam goes on five dates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking For Mr. Halpert

**Author's Note:**

> A) This could not be less related to Looking For Mr. Goodbar, just to clear that up. (B) I know Pam had one date in “The Convention,” but to me, there is nothing particularly interesting or noteworthy about it. However, for continuity’s sake, it is mentioned here. (C) To clear up any timeline issues, the sections fall into the episodes like so: Post-Diwali, Post-Phyllis’ Wedding, between Safety Training & Product Recall, Pre-Beach Games, and Post-The Job.
> 
> Spoilers: To be safe, through season 3. If you like living dangerously, there are specific episodes listed below.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize. They belong to Mssrs. Gervais, Merchant, and Daniels, and all associated corporations

**Nil**

Her first date in nine years had not gone well. Arrogant cartoonists. Really. What the fuck was that about. She didn’t know why she was trusting Kelly again, but maybe it was because she had met Nil before. He had thought Michael was outgoing, but his non-dismissal seemed to be the only flaw about Kelly’s cousin.

The biggest bonus: he thought Kelly was annoying and more than a little crazy. At least, that’s the way he had put it in his emails. It was one of the reasons why she had any hope for this date. Nil was a doctor – plus. His parents lived in Seattle – plus.

Not being someone she really wanted to date – minus.

They met for Mexican food on a Wednesday night and his hand kept brushing against hers as they shared the chips and salsa. Nil had ideas about what he wanted from life – goals, maybe. His eyes kind of sparkled.

On their next date, they watched Kal Ho Naa Ho – quite possibly the longest movie ever – at his apartment. They started out at opposite ends of the couch, but slowly they both edged to the middle. It was sweet, he was sweet, but they weren’t a good fit. He wasn’t funny. And she was pretty sure she was unwilling to convert to Hinduism.

+

**Roy**

The sex was exactly the same, his scent was unchanged, and he felt like Roy. She couldn’t help but be disappointed. When they stumbled out of bed on Sunday morning, she stole his sweatshirt and a pair of jeans that she’d left behind (“Pammy, I totally forgot about them! Sorry ‘bout that.” He was a horrible liar), and they headed to Chick’s for breakfast. He tossed an arm over her shoulders and she wondered how he could transition back into this so easily.

Sitting in the booth, they ordered quickly, and she continued to smooth her hair down. She had slept on it funny. She was nervous about seeing someone who knows them, who might give them a knowing glance (Oh cute! Back together, I see). Or worse. There are people – a person – who could see them together and just give her a glance, not even of disapproval, but the glance would assuredly throw her into a tailspin.

She shivered and Roy handed her his down vest. It swam on her, but she accepted it, and was touched by his gesture. The waitress handed off her chocolate milk and Roy took a sip, then mixed the milk and chocolate more thoroughly – the way she liked it. She wondered how many Pavlovian responses they both had.

+

**Jessica**

“Hi, I’m Jessica.”

“Oh! Hi! Pam, I’m Pam, nice to meet you – Jessica.”

Fuck fuck fuck. Fuck Oscar and his gay & lesbian bowling league. (“Pam, I know you’re not, uh, into women, but I think you should meet my friend Jess. She’s a musician, you’re both artists. And it can be just a friend thing, just friends meeting each other.” He felt bad about Gil being so rude at her art show, she’s sure of it, and he’s making it up to her. By setting her up on a date with a woman.)

Jessica was very pretty – soft features, a pixie haircut, short and shapeless patterned shift dress. Her teeth were very white. They had a drink, which was all Pam had time for – she had a work thing after. As in, she was going to plan ways to punish people at work when she returned home.

Jessica, Jess, had a glass of white wine, and as they talked, her finger traced the rim of the wineglass. They had a good chat about how Scranton sucked, what trashy reality TV shows they both liked, and their opinions on Barack Obama. On her third glass of wine, Pam invited Jess to her apartment. Jess accepted with a small smile.

It was an out of body experience to kiss a woman. Her lips were soft and her arms were thin and Pam felt like a character in some Lifetime movie where the woman goes unhinged.

Sometimes women joked that maybe it was just easier to shack up with another woman, but Pam never thought like that. Then again, Pam thought she’d marry her high school sweetheart.

“So no work thing, huh?” Jess whispered against her sternum. She just got called out. Cool.

Pam snickered. “Oh yeah. It got cancelled. Last minute.” She puts her hands on Jess’ cheeks and they kiss, and kiss, and kiss.

Jess left eventually, slowly pulling her dress up her body. Not a whole lot transpired – this was all new to Pam. Jess kissed her goodbye and said she had hoped next time Pam’s mind wouldn’t be so distracted. She let herself out. Pam buried her face in her pillow and got approximately two hours sleep.

+

**Ben**

He wore brown converse sneakers (which he adorably called ‘kicks’ – as in, “Pam, are you checking out my kicks?”) and had an amazing smile. Maybe it was a little disarming. She liked him immediately when he shook her charcoal-stained hand in art class, and if it was possible, she liked him more on their first date. (”Pam, this is not a date, don’t worry. Even though I brought you a sunflower, and I’m picking you up, and I’m wearing, quite frankly, really nice cologne…”) She found herself giggling. Flirting. Enjoying his company – and happy to be enjoying his company. They went to a truly horrible movie involving long, sweeping car chases – and they trade snarky comments the whole time. (“Do you think he’s gonna – yup. Decapitated. That’s gotta hurt.”) After the movie, they head to Outrageous; he drank a green tea latte and she imbibed a mug of chamomile. Their small talk became a conversation and she kept staring at the thin frame of his chest, draped in a thin grey t-shirt.

She liked him.

He parked the car and walked her to her door. She kissed him, and it was sweet, chaste. He kissed her and suddenly it wasn’t chaste anymore. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and somebody groaned but she wasn’t sure who. He was warm, and adorable, and liked Rothko, and had a great appreciation for angst-ridden bands with traumatized front men. But this was not going to work, and it broke her heart to know that.

She put her hands on his chest, pushing him away lightly. She has a long day tomorrow, she said, biting her lip. Yes, it’s at the beach, she explained, but with her boss – a day at the beach could become the ninth circle of hell. She hopes he understands, and he nodded his okay, confused.

(”I’d love to hang out again, Pam – this was fun. Maybe we can mock You Got Served or something.”)

The closer she gets, the more she just wants him.

+

**Jim**

Pam bounces to the kitchen in her bra and jeans to get a glass of water. Bounces to the bathroom and fights with her hair. Fine. Hair in a pony tail. She bounces to her bedroom where she pulls a white long sleeved shirt over her head. (“Hey Pam, sorry I ducked out so fast, I had to, uh, whatever. Come over around seven. I’m making dinner. No expectations, okay? See you… soon. Yeah. Bye Pam.” Was he kidding? She had tons of expectations, none of which had anything to do with food.) Her mom had given her a bottle of Clinique Happy for her birthday, so on that went in three delicate spritzes. She wasn’t all that into perfumes, but it seemed appropriate.

Grabbing her bag, she checks that all major appliances are off, and she turns off the lights in the kitchen. She is almost out the door –

Oh hell.

She goes back into her room and strips to her underwear. This is going to bug her all night. Not that they are going to sleep together, but if they do, does she really want white lace to be the theme? It is too much, too sexy. There is no need to tempt fate like that. She pulls on purple boy cut briefs – cute not too cute. A plain white bra that was incredibly supportive. Okay. Better.

She arrives at his house, energized by the encouragement of Aretha Franklin. When she pulls in the driveway, he opens the door and comes outside immediately. He smiles at her like he hasn’t in a long time and his expression makes her remember when he was silent for a whole day until she’d liberated his voice box with a Coke. Not talking to him for a whole day had felt like a weird eternity.

They look at each other now, saying “hi” and “hey,” and she feels exactly the same way she had so long ago.

“I wasn’t watching for you at the window or something. It was just serendipity,” he says, lying, opening her door. Her tongue goes to her bottom lip and she realizes she forgot any kind of makeup. And she tells him that, because she’s in this really honest groove. He shakes his head. “What do I care? I don’t notice that stuff.”

She thinks about Katy. Karen. Heavy makeup wearers all. He does notice that stuff. But then he stares at her with such earnestness, it’s practically dripping off his face. She decides right then and there to believe everything he says.

She grabs her purse and locks the car, and they head inside. For a split second, she leans her head against his shoulder. He feels solid. “You know,” he says, “I changed my shirt like five times.”

Pam turns her head slightly, just a little, to look at him out of the corner of her eye. She notices that her first impulse is to dismiss him via a joke (Oh yeah? Special occasion, Halpert?), but she suppresses that urge because that’s not the only way she wants them to be.

“I like it,” she says, reaching out to touch the fabric of his plaid, hipster button down. They both stare at her fingers. He puts one hand over hers and stares at her mouth.

“How’s it going?” he asks, and they’ve never had a moment quite like this before.

Are her knees weak? Oh. Yup.

“I liked what you said at the beach. That’s not even right, liked is not the right – thanks. Pam. For saying what you said.” His voice was quiet and shy, and suddenly there was no trace of the man he had been attempting to be for the past year. She leans in a little.

“Is there a chance that dinner is burning?” she asks.

“Considering it’s still on the counter in its baking dish – no.” He leans in too, and puts one hand to her hair, looping his fingers through curls. “You know, I think if tonight goes well, you should probably move in with me soon.”

Her eyes fell to her sneakers. “I don’t think anyone’s said that to me on a first date. Interesting strategy.”

“And after you move in, and we get on well, as I’m sure we will, after a couple of weeks I think we should get engaged.”

She laughs softly. “Do you have a ring in mind?”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be enormous – and visible from space. And then after a long engagement – what? A couple of weeks? – we should get married and start having kids immediately.”

Her hand moves to his neck while he’s talking. She stares into his eyes, smiling, stroking the skin on the side of his neck. “Is this a ten year plan condensed into ten months?”

He cocks his head to the side, his face crinkled into a smile. “Something like that.”

Her hand drops to his collar and she tugs on the fabric. “Hey,” she whispers against his lips. “I just want to say that I can, now, and I’m in love—“ He cuts her off and she kisses his smile.

Sadly, the eggplant parmesan sat out all night on the counter.

.end.

End Notes:

For Pam’s third date, Jessica, I kind of stole bits and ideas from “Kissing Jessica Stein.” Oh, what, you’ve never seen it? Put it at the top of your Netflix queue, it is FIERCE.  
Pam's fourth date, Ben, is loosely based on a great guy in my office. Hopefully, he does not read Office fic - or I will feel very, very foolish.

  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story archived at <http://mtt.just-once.net/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=2548>  



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